Project Anonymous
by lazer-angel
Summary: A fun little office game has everyone cheery for work. Except one grumpy sourpuss. Three independent ficlets written for a special challenge.
1. Project Anonymous

A/N: I know I haven't written anything in a long, long time. I kind of forgot about writing to be honest, haha. I also could've sworn I uploaded these before, but I couldn't find them in my story list, so re-upload!

I submitted these three ficlets for a Dramione Special Challenge. The stories were supposed to be based off of the quote. They didn't win :( Ah well, still had fun :)

Enjoyyyy

.

"_Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end."_

_- Scott Adams_

Project Anonymous

"Pass it on if you have nothing to give."

"This entire project is insane, Granger."

"It is not!"

"You're barking mad. I bet you even started it, you optimistic whack job."

"I didn't, but that doesn't detract from its goodness!"

"What goodness? It's a silly excuse to act charitable."

"Because being charitable is a bad thing? Unlike you, Malfoy, civilians of our world are generally _kind_ people."

"What, they're kind because they like to give knickknacks away? Just because I don't give away things on a whim doesn't mean I'm unkind."

"Oh, please. You've got to be the unkindest person in the world, Malfoy."

"Unkindest? Look, Granger, I just don't believe in this inane office game. I'm surprised it even lasted this long. I gave it a week before everyone would tire of it."

"Looks like it lived to four times your expectation, and still counting."

"It's too bad I'll be the one who puts an end to it."

"Then I hope it doesn't get around to you," she huffed while marching away.

A mysterious package had arrived one day upon Mr. Finkle's bewildered intern's desk. As the rest of the interns crowded around, curious of the odd parcel's contents, she opened it to find a bouquet of vibrant red roses. Enclosed in the present was a piece of parchment that read, "_Give a gift today and make someone smile. Don't forget the note."_

The next day, Robert, the attractive mail boy who had been blatantly crushing on the intern, received a gift certificate for two at Madeline's Cuisine, an expensive French restaurant along with a card that said, "_Thank you for the beautiful roses. You should pass on something nice to someone else, too. Dinner tomorrow night?"_ He promptly went to give a proper answer to the blushing intern, but he also mentioned that he didn't send the roses.

The day after that, Mrs. Wilcroft, Robert's boss and well-known antique fanatic, opened her office door to find an antique lamp on her desk. Down the hall, a grumpy Mr. Adams's frown vanished when he found a pair of Quidditch tickets to his favorite team in his mailbox. Both received friendly notes along with their gifts. Robert fervently denied having given the Quidditch tickets, but when asked about the lamp, only mysteriously smiled.

And from that day on, the tradition began.

All around the office, gifts began appearing on workers' desks: a trendy new scarf, jewelry, coffee pots, concert tickets. Sometimes people would give items to more than one person if they were feeling generous. It was rumored that a smug Henry James claimed that one time, he gave eight different people gifts. Everyone was enthusiastic about the new office game that had popped up from nowhere. Everyone, that is, except Draco Malfoy.

Hermione, in casual conversation, had brought up the Secret Santa-like scheme that was occurring in the office, and he had grunted sullenly in response. Hermione and Draco, being Hermione and Draco, proceeded to have a debate that only further incensed the two about the topic.

_He_ moodily voiced his thought that the entire thing was nonsense and that he refused to participate.

_She_ tried to convince him to continue the game for the others' sake.

_He_ told her that her attempt to make him kinder through donations was in vain.

_She_ replied that if anything was vain, it was him.

_He_ responded that that was an awful comeback and didn't make sense.

The argument continued until Hermione walked out in a huff.

Later that day, Hermione stopped by his office to drop off some paperwork, but she walked in to find it empty. Rolling her eyes and muttering about how typical it was that he would abandon his office even though he knew she was going to stop by to talk about the files she was dropping off, she tossed the file onto his desk, causing a few papers to fall off. Holding back a sigh, she bent over to pick up the loose documents until a quick glance had her doing a double take at the paper she was holding in her hand.

It was a receipt for a dozen roses, dated a month ago from Amy's Florist Shoppe. She flipped the top of bill down to see the next sheet: an order for two tickets to a Chudley Cannon's Quidditch match. As she shuffled through, she saw more receipts for some of the items that had appeared on some co-workers' desks: a thirty-Galleon watch, a ten-Galleon omniocular, a fifteen-Galleon gift certificate to Zonko's. And that was just the least of it.

Just as she was about to put back the folder, she saw a bill for a fifty-Galleon necklace that looked suspiciously like the one she had received three days ago.

After hearing a shuffling outside the door, she placed the papers surreptitiously underneath some documents and grabbed her own file. The door opened, and Draco looked momentarily surprised to see her. He then looked mistrustfully at the pink tinge on her cheeks and the wide smile plastered on her face. "Can I help you?"

"I have, er, this to give to you." She held up the green folder.

"Oh, right. We were supposed to discuss that today. Have a seat, Granger."

"Oh no, that's all right. I have to run now, but how about we talk about it today over dinner?" She thrust the file into his hands and brushed past him quickly. She only stopped briefly at the door to turn around and grin at him again, saying, "I'll meet you at Madeline's at eight."

As she left him standing in his office, slightly bewildered, she found that she couldn't stop smiling.

Unkind, indeed.


	2. Snowflakes

_"Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things."__  
><em>_- Antonio Smith_

Snowflakes

A fleck of snow melted on her tongue as she danced around with her mouth open, and she grinned. "Catch a snowflake, Malfoy."

He looked at her haughtily. "It's unhealthy to eat that stuff, you know. They're filled with dust and pollutants and—arghmmmph!"

She laughed again and wiped off her gloves while he spat out snow. "You're absolutely deranged, Granger. I don't know who'd ever want to date you, much less marry you." She only smiled at him in response.

Three years later, she stared thoughtfully at a little boy running around the field, his mouth wide open, willing the flakes to fall onto his tongue.

"Catch a snowflake, Granger."

She turned to look at him and smiled. "It's unhealthy to eat that stuff, you know. They're filled with dust and pollutants and—oh."

She stared down at the ring he was presenting her to on one knee.

"I'm not going to take back what I said three years ago. You're still deranged and an utter lunatic, but I think I found the person who wants to marry you."

She smiled.


	3. SPEW

_"We can do no great things; only small things with great love."__  
><em>_- Mother Theresa_

S.P.E.W.

"How's spew doing, love?"

She didn't bother to correct him.

"Fine."

"Grouchy, much?"

"You're not making a donation."

"True enough."

She glared at him. "Why are rich people so stingy?"

He shrugged. "How do you think we got rich?" A pause. "It's your money too. Just take it."

She shook her head. "Donations only."

He sighed. "Why do this when you can do so much more?"

She stared at him resolutely. "Because I love what I do."

Another pause. Then, he handed her a check.

She gaped at the amount. "Why?"

"Because it's a small thing for someone I love."


End file.
